Fishing as sport has enjoyed increasing popularity with increasing leisure time available to many. Some persons fish for food, while others enjoy the sport and challenge, under catch and release protocols. Though the ultimate end of the pursuit may vary among different anglers, it is an accepted fact that well cared for tackle is critical for best performance.
The environment in which fishing tackle is used, is generally hard on equipment. Obviously, fishing equipment is subject to water and moisture, but other factors surrounding the sport affect the equipment as well. Fishing equipment is generally placed or stored in the bottom of a boat, canoe, pickup truck bed, or other low point in a vehicle, where dirt, dust, and other contaminants generally reside. Often, other heavier packed or carried articles contact the fishing equipment. Yet, many fishing tackle components are relatively delicate, or at least have certain delicate components, which require at least a certain amount of care and attention. Fishing rods are an obvious example of such delicate equipment, but even certain fishing rods, with their closely mating threaded assemblies and reel attachments, are subject to damage by dirt and moisture contamination.
Fishing rods, particularly the rod ferrules or eyes along the pole, are very easily damaged or broken. As a protective measure, fishing rods are commonly stored in fishing rod cases, particularly for transportation. Fishing rod cases are commercially available in a wide variety of configurations. A metal or hard plastic tube is often used to protect the fishing rod. Some fishing rod cases also include an enlarged chamber at one end to hold a reel attached to the fishing rod.
Although most fishing rod and reel assemblies are constructed to permit disassembly, this disassembly is often tedious and time consuming. For the angler who frequently fishes, such assembly and disassembly of the equipment takes time which could otherwise be spent directly on fishing. Similarly, when an angler is changing fishing locations during the day or throughout the course of an outing, the assembly and disassembly is even more durationally intrusive. Frequent assembly and disassembly of the various components of the fishing tackle leads to wear and tear on the tackle, increasing likelihood of further problems and need for repair. For at least these reasons, many anglers keep their fishing equipment in an assembled state. An assembled rod presents a relatively fragile assembly, however, which is prone to damage if left exposed in the bottom of a boat, pickup truck, or similar relatively harsh environment.
Accordingly, a need exists for a rigid, hard protective case for the storage and protection of an assembled fishing rod, including the fishing rod tip. The present fishing pole scabbard may be configured to hold an assembled rod therein. For an embodiment, the reel remains attached to the rod, thereby greatly reducing the time otherwise required for rethreading the fishing line through the rod ferrules and other tedious tasks normally required when a fishing reel is separated from its fishing rod. An embodiment is adaptable to receive differing rod sizes and associated differing sized ferrules. For example, salt-water sport fishing poles are typically thicker with smaller ferrules. Fresh water sport fishing poles have thinner poles, but larger ferrules.
There likewise is a need for a fishing pole scabbard that is compactible and light for ease in transport and storage of the scabbard when not in use.
There likewise is a need for a fishing pole scabbard that can be made entirely from recycled materials, and that is inexpensive to manufacture.
There is yet another need for a fishing pole scabbard that provides an assembly that adaptively locks into a desired positional length without collapsing against the length of the pole.
There is a further need for a fishing pole scabbard that receives and securely holds a fishing pole into an interior protected space without the fishing rod and ferrules catching on any internal edges or sides of the scabbard.
There is also is a need for a fishing pole scabbard that will hold a range of differing sport fishing rods with tackle.